Renewable sources of energy including solar energy are becoming an ever greater part of the energy mix throughout the world. Most solar energy capture is performed using panels of photovoltaic solar cells. The panels are typically covered with transparent glass coverings to protect the solar cells direct exposure to the environment. However, the glass coverings can accumulate dirt, organic matter, sand, mud, fungal growth, and other debris over time which reduces the electrical generation efficiency of the solar panels which they cover. Examples of accumulation on panel coverings are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a solar panel covered over a majority of its surface with a loose layer of dirt such as dust or sand. FIG. 2 shows another solar panel with a surface covered with streaks of residue with marked accumulation near the edge of the panel. Residue such as shown in FIG. 2 tends to adhere to the solar panel covering and can be challenging to remove. Various studies show that dirt accumulation can reduce solar panel output power by up to 80%. Moreover, it has been found that small particles have a particularly deleterious effect on power output. For example, Kuwait City recorded a reduction in solar panels power by 17% due to sand accumulation after six days.
The conventional methods and systems for cleaning and maintaining solar panels that have been employed to date generally either fall short in their cleaning efficiency, clean some times of accumulations better than others, lack durability, or suffer from other handicaps such as high water requirements, which can be undesirable in environments that have limited access to water such as deserts.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a solar panel cleaning system that is efficient, requires small volumes of water and is both adaptable and durable. The present disclosure addresses these and other deficiencies in the art.